FG to Raise Niger Power Plant Output to 700MW

The Federal Government is set to increase electricity generation from a major power plant in Niger State to 700 megawatts as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s power supply.

The project is the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant, located on the Kaduna River in Niger State. The facility has an installed capacity of 700MW and is equipped with four generating units, each capable of producing 175MW.

The planned increase comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to improve electricity generation and address challenges affecting the reliability of the national grid.

Zungeru is one of Nigeria’s largest hydroelectric power projects and was developed with Chinese assistance at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion. The project was designed to generate about 2.64 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, potentially meeting close to 10 per cent of Nigeria’s domestic energy needs.

The Federal Government had previously announced that the plant was connected to the national grid, with testing carried out to evaluate electricity generated from the facility.

The move to maximise the plant’s capacity comes amid wider government plans to recover underutilised generation capacity and strengthen transmission infrastructure.

The Federal Government has also identified transmission bottlenecks and operational inefficiencies as major factors limiting the amount of electricity that reaches consumers, despite available generation capacity.

Under its broader power-sector strategy, the government is pursuing measures to stabilise the national grid and improve the delivery of electricity to homes and businesses.

The Zungeru project is expected to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s renewable electricity generation because of its hydroelectric capacity. Beyond power generation, the project was also designed to support flood control, irrigation, water supply and fish breeding activities in surrounding areas.

The Federal Government’s latest effort to maximise the plant’s output forms part of its wider push to improve electricity supply and unlock additional generation capacity across the country.